Don’t get us wrong, when it comes to heavy-duty truck stuff like towing or hauling heavy loads, serious off-roading, or any other strenuous activity, a body-on-frame truck is the way to go. Even though they’re being used as daily drivers and commuters more frequently these days, ladder-frame trucks have always been and always will be the real workhorses in America. One could argue that people don’t need a full-size truck for day-to-day living, so some automakers offer midsize trucks like the Toyota Tacoma or GMC Canyon with body-on-frame construction for toughness and capability, while costing less.
However, if you’re the type of buyer who only needs a truck bed once per year when helping a friend move apartments or picking up a larger piece of furniture, perhaps a unibody truck is your best bet. Unless you plan on towing over 6,000 pounds regularly, you could most likely benefit from the comfort provided in a unibody truck like the Honda Ridgeline or Ford Maverick. They offer more car-like comfort and driving characteristics while providing a usable bed for some light-duty work, and they can still tow a reasonable load on occasion.
We don’t mean to ruffle any full-size truck owners’ feathers with this piece — unibody trucks are simply a better alternative for buyers who don’t need or want the rougher driving experience of a regular pickup truck. Here’s why the market isn’t universally converting to unibody pickups, but shifting to a more accepting era.
All specs have been sourced directly from the manufacturers. New prices are correct at the time of writing, and exclude destination, options, taxes, incentives, and other potential dealer fees. Automakers reserve the right to change prices at any time without notice.
The Traditional Truck Holdout: Why Ladder Frames Are Still King
2026 Toyota Tacoma TRD PreRunner front 3/4 angle in grayToyota
This article isn’t here to tell you that body-on-frame trucks are getting replaced by unibody models. In fact, we want to highlight the fact that most buyers still prefer the old ways for good reasons. Ladder-frame models are tougher, more rugged, can pull more weight behind them and haul more in their beds due to their structural rigidity, and they usually accommodate more powerful engines. Not to mention the fact that they are almost always available with true four-wheel drive using rugged transfer cases for superior off-road capability.
All this is to say there’s a cultural expectation for trucks that most unibody models don’t abide by. Buyers historically reject the unibody design simply because they aren’t as capable as traditional pickup trucks. Midsize models like the Tacoma or Canyon, which we’ll continue to use as references, can cost about the same as a Ridgeline depending on the trim level, but the Ridgeline’s unibody design simply doesn’t keep up in the most extreme cases.
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Best Midsize Trucks Of 2026
For most people, a midsize pickup truck has more than enough capability.
Ladder-Frame Midsize Trucks Specs
2026 GMC Canyon AT4X driving front 3/4 gravel off-roadGMC
Selected 2026 Midsize Trucks Overview
2026 Toyota Tacoma
2026 GMC Canyon/Chevrolet Colorado
Powertrain
2.4L Turbo Inline-4
2.4L Turbo Inline-4 Hybrid
2.7L Turbo Inline-4
Transmission
8-speed Automatic
8-Speed Automatic
8-Speed Automatic
6-Speed Manual
Drivetrain
RWD or 4WD
RWD or 4WD
RWD or 4WD
Horsepower
228–270 hp
326 hp
310 hp
Torque
243–317 lb-ft
465 lb-ft
430 lb-ft
Max Towing Capacity
6,500 pounds
6,000 pounds
7,700 pounds
Max Payload Capacity
1,705 pounds
1,710 pounds
1,670 pounds
While midsize pickups with ladder frames will most likely remain more popular than unibody models, buyers will still complain about some models’ lack of larger engine options. Of course, we can’t discount the Nissan Frontier’s 3.8-liter V6 or the Jeep Gladiator’s 3.6-liter V6. Regardless of powertrain size, ladder-frame trucks are usually more powerful than midsize unibody models. Next, we’ll draw your attention to the fact that every single ladder-frame midsize pickup on the market is available with true four-wheel drive — a feature that unibody trucks lack. And, of course, every ladder-frame model can tow and haul more than the best unibody option.
The Ridgeline’s Quiet Acceptance: How Unibodies Are The Future
2026 Honda Ridgeline RTL side angle in silver while drivingHonda
When we say unibody trucks are the future, we refer to the fact that most people don’t need a full-size pickup truck as their daily driver. If you’re in the market for a truck due to needing a bed once a year, and the other 364 days of the year will be spent sitting in traffic on your way to work, then the Honda Ridgeline, Ford Maverick, or Hyundai Santa Cruz should be the future of daily-driven trucks.
We should mention, though, that Honda announced its intention to pause the Ridgeline for a model year while the automaker reworks its powertrain to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy. That said, its sales prove customers are interested in the concept. Honda’s sales report shows buyers in 2024 brought home 45,421 Ridgelines, then in 2025 the brand sold 48,448 units.
The Maverick also had a record-breaking 2025, with 155,051 units sold. Its fourth-quarter sales were beyond impressive with 34,147 units sold, which is up by 54.2% compared to Q4 2024. The Hyundai Santa Cruz is less impressive as the brand winds down its production. Hyundai is discontinuing the Santa Cruz to focus on a body-on-frame pickup set to debut in the next couple of years. In 2023, the model sold 36,675 units, but its most recent report shows only 25,499 units sold in 2025.
What Owners Actually Use it For
2026 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport front 3/4 angle in gray while towing a trailerHonda
The Ridgeline’s unibody construction is lighter, offers better handling on the road (at the cost of worse off-road handling), and it has lower maintenance costs compared to some other midsize trucks. We’ll get more into costs and values later. First, it’s good to know that the Ridgeline, Maverick, and Santa Cruz are still somewhat capable when you need them to be. For example, here’s one owner’s experience towing a fully-loaded trailer in slick conditions:
“Hauled a load of lumber for a friend today… The roads were still wet, with a fair amount of slush, snow and some ice… As soon as I started out it felt reallly heavy. In fact when they lowered the first bundle on the front of the trailer, I thought the rear ties were gonna go flat…
The 16 foot trailer weighs 745 pounds (certified). With those two bundles that were supposed to weigh not more than 800 each, the trailer weighed in at just over 3100 pounds, not including the tongue weight…
Used S mode and shifted manually on hills, and in ECO mode to keep the [transmission] from hunting… One little patch of ice was no problem. The loading yard was really muddy and slushy, so shifting down to 1st for starting out helped with traction.”
– Ridgeline Owners Club member, January 23rd, 2025
Unibody Trucks’ Specs And Capabilities
2026 Ford Maverick Lariat Rear 3/4 View While TowingFord
2026 Unibody Midsize Truck Specs Comparison
2026 Honda Ridgeline
2026 Ford Maverick
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Powertrain
3.5-Liter V6
2.0L Turbo Inline-4
2.5L Inline-4 Hybrid
2.5-Liter Inline-4
2.5L Turbo Inline-4
Transmission
9-Speed Automatic
8-Speed Automatic
eCVT
8-Speed Automatic
8-Speed Automatic
Drivetrain
AWD
FWD or AWD
FWD or AWD
FWD or AWD
AWD
Horsepower
280 hp
250 hp
191 hp
191 hp
281 hp
Torque
262 lb-ft
277 lb-ft
N/A
181 lb-ft
311 lb-ft
Max Towing Capacity
5,000 pounds
4,000 pounds
4,000 pounds
3,500 pounds
5,000 pounds
Max Payload Capacity
1,583 pounds
1,500 pounds
1,500 pounds
1,411 pounds
1,411 pounds
We won’t overstate the Ridgeline’s capabilities — it’s still not going to tow as much as a comparable ladder-frame midsize truck. However, a 5,000-pound towing capacity paired with over 1,500 pounds of payload capacity makes for a decent option on occasion. None of the unibody trucks will blow the tougher midsize models out of the water, but even the little Santa Cruz can pull 5,000 pounds. The Ridgeline and Santa Cruz aren’t far off from the hybrid Tacoma’s towing capacity, despite its 465 lb-ft of torque.
The Long Game: Reliability, Resale Value And More
2025 Honda Ridgeline Sport detail shot of the engine bayHonda
Midsize Truck Base Prices 2026
Honda Ridgeline
Ford Maverick
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Toyota Tacoma
GMC Canyon
Chevrolet Colorado
Nissan Frontier
Jeep Gladiator
MY2026 Base Price
$40,795
$26,711
$29,750
$32,445
$38,400
$32,400
$32,150
$40,015
Before you learn about each model’s long-term statistics, let’s start at the very beginning. Above is a table with every midsize truck’s starting price for the 2026 model year — it goes without saying that a Tacoma or Canyon can get rather expensive on the higher-end of trims, but they’re surprisingly cheaper than the Ridgeline’s base price.
That said, the Ridgeline makes for a fairly solid purchase if you plan on keeping it for a while. According to CarEdge, the model depreciates by an average of 36% after its first five years on the road. That’s not bad when considering how many vehicles lose about half their value in that timeframe. On the flip side, the Tacoma only depreciates by 22% after five years, since it’s one of the most desirable midsize trucks with a balanced mix of reliability and capability. Nevertheless, here’s how the Ridgeline’s value is holding up on the used market after five years:
The Ridgeline also makes for a reliable purchase. Not all model years are the same, but the current generation has few customer complaints to the NHTSA and Car Complaints. Additionally, CarEdge claims it costs $2,810 to maintain and repair in the first five years, which is less than the average pickup by $1,804. CarEdge’s data shows the Tacoma costs about $2,241 to maintain and repair in the same timeframe.
Unibody Trucks Are Better Daily Drivers
2025 Honda Ridgeline Sport interior steering wheel viewHonda
Deciding to ditch the traditional truck culture of ladder-frames in favor of a unibody model isn’t an easy choice. There are plenty of drawbacks to choosing a unibody truck that we’ve discussed throughout this article, but the truth of the matter is that most people aren’t towing over 5,000 pounds of doing any heavy off-roading with regularity. If you want a rugged off-roader, be our guest — go buy a Tacoma TRD Pro or a Canyon AT4X. The rest of you will be just fine with a practical daily driver that gets better fuel economy, more comfortable on-road handling, and smaller stature.
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These are the top-rated small trucks of the year.
Sources: Honda, Ford, Toyota, GMC, Hyundai, Ridgeline Owners Club, CarEdge
